Moments
by Schizowrites
Summary: Just some ShikaTema one-shots and drabbles. Some fluff, some serious. A little bit of Shikadai here and there.
1. Never Goodbye

**Never Goodye**

Barely conscious. Sound of leaves. Dim light filtered through sleepy eyelids. Cool breeze on her back, but warmth to her front. Arms holding her so tightly as if they never intended on letting go. Light breath trickling on her forehead. What? Where? Morning. It was morning. Conscious.

Temari opened her eyes. When had they fallen asleep? They were still in the clearing Shikamaru led her to late last night. It was deep in the Nara woods, away from the bustling streets of Konoha. What was usually used for cloud-watching was substituted for stargazing just the night before. Most couples had dinner and a movie, they had dinner and lazing. She was beginning to warm up to his lazing ways. It was actually quite relaxing. They also had an unspoken contract between the two to put aside work and talk about anything and everything else while lazing. However, the time had come to face reality.

Without moving, she took a moment to take in her surroundings. To her dismay all she could really see was the sky and the vested chest of her captor. She could tell it was morning, but how early? She decided to assess the situation more closely. Upon further inspection she found that over the time of the night they had turned into a tangled mess of arms and legs. They were laying on their sides face to face. Shikamaru had his forehead resting on top of her head, the crest of his nose where her hair met her forehead. He was still very asleep. Her head rested on one of his arms. The same arm extended to her opposite shoulder, and he had his other arm around her waist. She couldn't move without potentially disturbing him.

What time was it? She decided, despite her partners closeness, to stir and see if she could see the position of the sun. Her captor struck again. He tightened his grip pulling her closer to him and locking her in place. She couldn't help but laugh at the predicament, "You are ridiculous."

Shikamaru groaned at the comment. He hadn't been awake yet, and she was already making fun. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She gave a little laugh at that, "You're gonna have to let me go someday."

"Nope," he said it quietly.

"What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything."

"You said something."

"I take no responsibility for my actions before the sun comes up."

"The sun is coming up."

"Coming up but not up?"

"Don't be a smartass."

"I don't know what you thought you signed on for."

"There were papers?"

"You didn't get them?"

She laughed a little, "I don't recall getting any."

"I'll have to talk to my secretary about that."

"You don't have a secretary."

"I could."

"You don't."

"I should."

"You probably won't."

"You don't know," he said it quickly but clearly not fully serious.

She sighed a little, "I was trying to check the time."

"Why didn't you check it?"

"When I did you pulled me back down to where I couldn't see."

"Oh," he made no attempt to allow her from his grip.

"Are you going to let me check?"

"I'm not stopping you from anything."

"You still haven't let go."

"A watch could have solved this problem."

"Well, without one the sun is the only real gauge of time we have."

He was quiet for a moment. He moved his head so that he could look at her face-to-face, "One condition."

Without him saying, she already knew the condition. They stared at each other for a moment. He made the first move grazing his lips just close enough to hers, and she completed the action. There were few things she enjoyed more than these moments with him. And it was because of these moments, she dreaded leaving. Unfortunately, this was one of those days. Finally, they broke apart. They were silent for a moment.

She broke the silence, "I have to go."

"I know." She knew he was trying to be composed, but he couldn't hide from her the disappointment in the statement.

He lightened his hold of her just enough so she could see the sun. She moved so that she could see past him. The sun had barely peaked over the horizon. She decided to spare just a little more time and settled back into place, "I'll be back."

"When?"

She knew he knew she couldn't truly answer that, "soonish.'

"Soon or ish?"

"Ish."

"How soon do you have to leave?"

She slightly hesitated, "Soonish."

"Soon or ish?"

"... Soon."

He sighed to that. He hated watching her leave. It had become more troublesome than having her around nagging at him. However, the time had come. He untangled himself from her and got onto his feet. Then, he offered his hand to help her up. She looked at his hands reluctantly, but gave in and accepted them. He pulled her to feet, and they came face to face once again. His hands still in hers, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead to hers.

"I know," she said. Nothing had to be said for her to understand. They stayed like that for a while, and then they were on their way. They would get to the gates, and then they would part ways as always. She would go there, and he would stay here. But there would be no goodbyes. It was never goodbye.

* * *

**To the dismay of those who may remember me, I started a fic that received a lot of good feedback years ago and I failed to complete it. I've grown a lot in the past years, and I've decided to stick to the occasional one-shot or drabble from time to time. I lack the current focus to do a long-term committed fic. Moving along, if you are a new reader or old reader, thank you so much for reading. Reviews and constructive criticism are very welcome. I want to do more of these, but life has been very busy for me and I cannot promise much. Hope you enjoyed. Peace be with you. **


	2. The Night Before

**This one will be a continuum/flashback of "Never Goodbye". Hope you enjoy.**

**The Night Before**

The streets of Konoha were bustling. Vendors were calling out, advertising their wares. People were wandering the streets, laughing and talking with friends and significant others. Everything was so brightly lit and vibrant. Temari always loved visiting Konoha. It was such a change of scenery from her home. The people were relaxed and enjoyable. Life in Sunagakure was always so serious. The environment was harsh and unforgiving to it's inhabitants. Water was scarce and with that always came the concern of food collections. They relied heavily on indoor greenhouses and imported foods. And imported foods were never a guarantee due to the many sandstorms that happened regularly. The people of Konoha didn't have to worry about such things. Food could be grown very close, and water just fell from the sky. Such a simple difference of environment changed everything. People could rest easier. Complacency came with the territory.

But still. How could they relax so easily? Crops for food were still fickle things. If it rained too much it could drown the crop. If it rained too little, the crop would not prosper. Add the aspect of malicious insects and wildlife, a lot could still go wrong. But nobody ever worried about that. They just lived their lives as if the world were infinite. How could you live so easily knowing that nothing is guaranteed?

"What are you thinking about?" The man sitting across from her interrupted her thoughts. Shikamaru almost sounded like he was just as deep in thought as she was when he asked the question. Eyes usually filled with boredom and genuine disinterest brimmed with curiosity. They had just finished a meal in a small restaurant. Their table sat against a window looking out to the street that had enchanted her into these thoughts.

She took a sip of what little remaining tea she had left, "How do you relax like you do?"

"Huh? That's what you were thinking about?" He seemed more surprised than confused.

She looked back out to the street, "Well, the people here are always so light and content. There are always worries, and the people here never seem to reflect those worries. You're all so carefree. I'm just wondering how." She looked back at him to observe his response.

He put his hand on his chin and sat thinking about the question. Temari really admired this quality of Shikamaru's. He never just spat out an answer when it came to matters like this. He took time and thought about things. It gave him a sort of wisdom that most people lacked. He always had a good response after thinking the way he did. He finally spoke, "Come with me."

That wasn't an answer, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

She gave a little sigh at that response, "We're just leaving without paying." As she was saying it, Shikamaru pulled out money and put it on the table. Surely way more than the meal actually cost. She gave a questioning look.

"I never eat here, it's the least I can do," he sounded like he was in a bit of a hurry.

That explanation didn't really make much sense, but she decided to just accept it. They made their way to the street walking as they normally would. While their relationship wasn't exactly a secret, they were pretty private about it. Public displays of affection were rare for them, so they just walked casually. After a very little time of walking, she could tell they were walking towards the Nara compound. "So, you're going to somehow explain this by taking me to your house?"

"That's not where we're going," from the sound of it, it was the last place he wanted to go at the moment.

She decided not to question it further, "Okay."

Shikamaru always had a plan. Temari had come to trust him, even when it meant he was being indirect with her like he was. They eventually found their way to the Nara compound where he led her to the edge of the woods. He stopped and she stopped beside him giving him a questioning look. He was looking at the top of the trees and then directed his attention to her and smiled. "I have to blind-fold you. Top secret."

She laughed at him, "I've been in these woods before."

"But where I'm leading you is top secret, so I have to blind-fold you," he was clearly being mischievous.

"Okay, so how do you plan on doing that?" she asked. She couldn't help but smile back at the situation.

"Well..." he then proceeded to close the gap between them and he reached behind her head. While he was doing so his face was very close to hers. She gave a slight, surprised inhale at the sudden closeness. He untied her headband and tied it back over her eyes. Unsurprisingly, it was an awkward fit. The metal piece stuck out slightly over her nose so that she could still see everything below her.

She gave a slight laugh when he was finished, "If you think this works."

He laughed back, "You still can't see where we're going." He turned around and held out his hands behind his back so that she could follow. She took his hands and they began their tread into the Nara woods. She could still see his feet so she followed best should could. A couple minutes into their walk, she decided to take a little revenge for him blind-folding her. She timed it just right and stepped on his heel.

"Ow!"

"Oops," she said it in a way that told him she was getting back at him.

"You can be cruel at times."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said it with a smile.

A few more minutes into their walk, it was almost as if their surroundings were a little brighter when they finally came to a stop. Shikamaru let go of her hands and turned to her again. But instead of removing her blindfold, he began kissing her. She did not fight it. She, in fact, encouraged it. They didn't have many moments like this due to their busy and private nature. When the kiss was finished, she realized that Shikamaru had taken her blind-fold and replaced her headband to it's normal place. She was so focused on the kiss, she hadn't really been paying attention to his other actions.

She looked around and found that they had come to a large opening in the forest. They were at the top of a large, sloping hill. It overlooked the forest on the other side of the clearing. She still didn't understand how this answered her question. She looked at Shikamaru, "Is this your answer?"

He didn't respond. He proceeded to lay down on the hillside. He pat the ground next to him asking her to lay next to him.

"A little late for cloud-watching isn't it?" He just looked at her with a grin. She hesitated for a second and then did so. He had his arm out so that she could lay her head on it. She looked at the sky. Stars. Was this how she found the answer? Now, granted, she had never seen them so grandly. Sunagakure always had raging storms overhead, and usually she was too focused to stop and look on missions. And with the brightness of the cities, she rarely got to actually marvel at them. They were beautiful, but...

"This is my answer," he said nonchalantly.

Still not an answer, "How could this possibly be an answer?"

"Well, the truth is there is no good answer for your question. I could have said anything and all that would have done is lead to more questions. I don't think there is an answer to something like that. It's all subjective. It's just a state of being. Our state is what we chose it to be based on preference. So, instead of answering it, I decided to just help you put it into practice."

"So, you just lay down and relax?"

"I try to. My mind has a habit of not shutting up. Clouds are better. They're more distracting. They just drift along carelessly."

"So, you just lay down and think?"

"Yeah, but here I can think about whatever I want. It doesn't have to be important. It usually still is, but I can just let my mind wander."

She decided to try it. She stared up at the sky just letting her mind wander. Although, it never wandered too far. Soon enough, her attention was back on the man laying next to her, "What do you usually think about when you do this?"

"Well.." he kept his gaze on the sky, "Once up a time, I would stare at the sky and think about everything. About how it was all troublesome and how much work I had. I would think about the overly normal life I originally wanted to lead and how that was becoming less and less likely."

"Once upon a time?"

"Yeah."

"What do you think about now?"

He looked her in the eyes and just stared for a moment. She wasn't sure why, but the action made her slightly blush. She hoped that the darkness would hide it. "I think about_ things_,"he finally responded. It was an odd moment of shyness for him. Normally, Shikamaru was very straight-forward. It had to be a play. He was implying that he thought about _her_, but he left it open so if she chose to interpret another way she could. He was giving her a choice. Surely he knew she had already chosen.

"You think about me?" she responded headstrong and watched for his reaction.

He almost looked as if he had been holding his breath, "yeah."

Personal foul. She hadn't thought about how she was going to respond to his answer. She settled for the next best thing. She put her arm around him and gave him a small kiss. His arms followed suit. After the kiss, she just settled into his chest. Well, the trip to the clearing had been a colossal failure in search of her answer for why everyone was so relaxed in Konoha, but it wasn't all bad. In the end, she had him. Nothing else really mattered as much. She began to realize just how sleepy she was. She blamed Shikamaru. There was a certain comfort in being with him. She couldn't know for everyone else in Konoha, but she found what relaxed her. Him. Instead of worrying about getting back to her room at the hotel, she just let sleep claim her where she lay at his side, and she drifted to sleep.

**Thank you so much for reading. And especially thank you to those how followed and favorited. It was you who encouraged me to put out another chapter so soon. I'm going to go ahead and apologize if there are any major grammatical errors in my story. I am publishing this sleepy against my better judgement. I can't say how long before I'll put out another, but I'm trying to do this more often. Please, feel free to review the story, and if you want to talk Shikatema, I am always game. Have a good morning, day, night, whenever and wherever you are, and peace be with you. **


	3. Shikamaru Poses a Question

**Howdy. I decided to so something with Shikadai after all. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Shikamaru Poses a Question**

You could feel it in the cool, soft air. Fall was here. The days were growing shorter, and the leaves were beginning to turn vibrant shades of yellow and red. But he wasn't looking at the changing colors or the rising sun. He was in his thinking pose; the one where he'd put his hands facing downward and his fingertips together.

Temari had awoken about thirty minutes ago to find him in this pose. She went to the kitchen, made some tea, and sat waiting for him to join her. Usually, he would join her after a little meditation. However, he never came to sit with her. Once she finished her tea, she came back to find him in the same pose. Whatever he was thinking about, it must be important. She came up behind him and hugged his shoulders. He let out a contented sigh, but he did not remove himself from his pose. She kissed him on his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, "What are you thinking about so hard this early in the morning?"

He finally resigned his pose. Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked at the Nara woods that laid before him. He still thought for a couple minutes. Temari could tell he was looking for the right words. Shikamaru had a tendency of being blunt. She loved how honest he was. Which meant this had to be about them. Finesse was commonly saved for tactics, not their relationship. He gave a sigh of resignation, "Do you think we should have another child?" He went for blunt.

She wasn't surprised. She knew he always wanted to have two children. They just hadn't talked about it extensively since Shikadai was born, "What brought this on?"

"Something Shikadai said..."

* * *

It was early afternoon, and Shikamaru had gotten off early. He had almost forgotten what it was like to have free-time. He had been so busy with the Union and getting Naruto fully set in as Hokage. And before that, Kakashi kept him constantly on the go. It was a relief to have some time to spare. He walked up on his house. It was the first time in a long time that he had seen it in full daylight. Usually, it was so early the sun wasn't fully up yet or night. _I need to take more afternoons like this._

He entered the house and announced, "I'm home!"

... No response. Of course nobody was home.

He kicked off his shoes, and walked through the foyer into the living area. There he found the strangest sight. The house was less than vacant. Shikadai was laying on the ground staring at the ceiling. Shikadai didn't even acknowledge that his father had entered the room. Shikamaru looked at the ceiling and didn't find anything particularly strange about the ceiling. He looked back down at his son, "Okay. What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for shapes in the... bumpy... ceiling things... What are those things called?" he responded as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"It just a textured finish." Shikadai looked disappointed by that answer, "Why not go outside and look at clouds instead?"

"I didn't trip and fall outside, so I just stayed here instead."

Shikamaru laughed at his answer, "Well, do you mind if I join you?"

Shikadai shrugged in response. Shikamaru took it as a yes and laid down next to him., and put his hands behind his head. He could see a little appeal in this. No sun or bugs at least. They stayed there in silence for a while. Shikamaru broke the silence, "Where's your mother?"

"She went out for groceries."

"Ah... Found any cool shapes?"

"Just bumpy ones."

Shikamaru let out a little laugh. He missed the days when he was young and could just waste time like this. He could think about things that didn't matter and just laze about. He didn't have time for that anymore. That also meant he didn't have much time to spend with his son. He had always wanted two children, but he barely had time for one child. How could he do that to another child? He remembered how little time he had with his father. Shikaku was always so busy with work, but he was always a father when it mattered most. Had Shikamaru been a good father to Shikadai? Had he been around enough? Would Shikadai see him the same way he saw his father? How could he ask without asking? He decided to pose a question, "I have a question for you."

"Yeah?" Shikadai sounded disinterested.

Shikamaru glanced at his son, "You and a comrade are in a combat situation. You have a choice to make. You can either sacrifice your comrade to save three civilians, or let the civilians die saving your comrade. What do you do?"

Shikadai's eye slightly furrowed in thought. Shikamaru could tell he was thinking very closely about the question. Shikamaru had not yet talked to Shikadai about things like this. Shikadai was getting close to being out of the academy. Shikadai would need to know these things pretty soon.

Shikadai finally spoke up, "So, if I have to choose, that means I'm in charge, right?"

"Yes."

"So, I _have_ to choose?"

"Yes."

"No."

"What?" Shikamaru was a little surprised.

"If I'm leading, it's my duty to protect both the civilians and my comrades, right?"

Shikamaru stayed silent.

"So, why wouldn't I sacrifice myself instead?"

Shikamaru was shocked. Most children Shikadai's age wouldn't think that way. Most people, even adults, would sacrifice one to save three, "So, you would rather save everyone." Shikamaru let out a sigh, "If only things were truly so cut and dry."

Shikadai sat up into a seating position facing his father quickly, "Why couldn't I save everyone?" He seemed a little annoyed. In an instant he had gone from being relaxed Shikamaru's son to headstrong Temari's son.

Shikamaru didn't move from his spot, "Being a ninja is very situational. If you are the leader, you are the leader for a reason. As a leader, you will have to make tough decisions. As the leader, you can't always just sacrifice yourself, because your other comrades will need you to keep leading. What if you sacrificed yourself, but the comrade you saved couldn't keep the civilians safe latter on? Then, your sacrifice was for nothing, but that's a discussion for another time. Don't worry yourself with things like that yet."

Shikadai pouted a little bit, and he laid back down. They remained quiet for a long time until the silence was broken by the front door. "Shikadai, I'm home."

"We're in the living room," Shikamaru responded.

Temari entered the living room, "You're home earl... What are you two doing?"

"We're looking for shapes in the bumpy ceiling things."

Temari gave a little laugh, "Well, I'll leave you two to your search." She walked out of the room to the kitchen.

Silence again and the occasional rustling from the kitchen. Shikadai spoke up, "Ceilings are boring."

"Shougi instead?"

"Sounds better."

* * *

"He really said that?" Temari gave a laugh of approval.

"Yeah, he thought about everyone else before himself. We must be doing something right." Temari sensed a little doubt in the statement still.

"You are a good father whether you realize it or not."

Shikamaru looked at her. They locked eyes. She looked as if she truly believed that, even though Shikamaru didn't fully believe it himself.

"The fact that you worry about it is enough proof that you're doing your best. You're a busy man right now, and you'll have more time. Go a little easier on yourself. If you want to have another child, I'm okay with that. If not, I'm okay with that, too. Just let me know." She gave him a kiss and stood up, "Time to wake up the little man. You know where to find me if you need me."

Shikamaru must have been really nice to puppies in a past life to deserve such an amazing wife. He had no idea what he had done in this life to deserve her. He had always wanted two children, but first, he had to get ready for work. Maybe they could talk about it more that night. He stood up with a little more confidence than he had originally sat down with. A new day, a new start.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome. And as always, peace be with you. **


	4. Love Maybe

**Love Maybe**

He was grinning like an idiot. He knew that's what everyone could see. However, there was nothing idiotic about what caused such a commonly composed man to grin in this manner. A date. Such a simple thing somehow turned a genius into a giddy fool. Very few people could read so well into that stupid smile as well as the woman sitting across the table from him.

Yoshino was enjoying some tea when Shikamaru arrived at home. She was surprised he didn't go straight to his room. Normally, that was his first stop when he got home. It was like he didn't know what to do with himself. He just sat there smiling. She looked at him like a puzzle she had already solved.

"You're happy this afternoon," Yoshino observed Shikamaru's reaction closely.

Shikamaru sighed a little, "It's just been a good day."

"Is it a girl?"

The stupid smile was gone in an instant, and Shikamaru blushed in response. He still wasn't completely used to being in a relationship, let alone this type of confrontation.

"Uh huh." Yoshino grabbed another cup and poured some tea for her smitten son, "So, who is it?"

"I'd rather not say, yet."

"Yet, huh. Do you love her?"

Love? Shikamaru hadn't thought about that yet. Sure, it was the end goal, but how would he know? He's never been one for crushes and flirting. He didn't even know how to flirt. At least, he never tried to. Most women's attempts at flirting with him went over his head. If he didn't even know how to flirt and notice flirtatious advances, how could he possibly recognize love? He's never been in love before. How could he know? What truly defined love? He loved his friends. He loved his family. He loved his village. But this was different, right? This isn't just love, this is supposed to be _the_ love. Right?

He knew he really liked her. He really liked being around her. He liked her intelligence. He liked the way she could take him off-guard, and he liked that he could take her off-guard. He liked the way they understood each other. He liked thinking about her. He liked how she pushed him to do better without losing himself along the way. He liked that she accepted him. If he was being honest with himself, her body was a bonus. There was nothing average about her. He liked that a lot. But did that really mean he loved her?

Yoshino originally asked him on a whim if he loved this mystery girl, but the question sent him into internal warfare. He was really considering it. If he looked at the wall any harder, he might actually make it tumble. She decided to interrupt his thoughts before his head exploded, "So?"

He looked back at her, pulled away from his thoughts. He still didn't answer. He thought for a moment longer, then almost abruptly, "How did you know you loved dad?"

Yoshino was a little startled by the question. She thought about it for a moment before speaking, "Well... I guess it was his smile..."

Shikamaru interrupted her with a frustrated sigh and hit his head against the table.

"What's wrong with you?" Yoshino was annoyed at the sudden outburst.

Shikamaru looked back at his annoyed mother. He had to pick his words carefully "Sorry... Dad used to always say the same thing."

"You asked your father about love?"

Now was not the time for specifics, "Yeah." Not entirely a lie.

"Then, you already knew what I was about to say?"

Shikamaru gave a confused look, "There was more?"

"Is that all he would say?"

"He never elaborated if that's what you're asking."

Yoshino laughed, "Your father was always like that. He never explained more than he had to."

"The most I got was 'You'll understand someday.'"

"That was his way of saying he didn't really understand himself."

Well, if his father was as daft as he was when it came to love, that made sense.

"Don't interrupt me this time," it was an order.

Shikamaru gave a nod showing he understood.

Yoshino gave a thoughtful sigh, "The reason I say it was his smile is because of the way it felt. I had seen him smile many times before, but these smiles were mine. I would get lost in them. When he would smile at me, the rest of the world didn't matter. I found comfort in them." Her eyes began to sadden, "He would smile, and I knew that he was mine. It made me happy to be his. I could look at his smile and see happiness that didn't exist anywhere else. At the time, nothing made me happier than his happiness. We were each other's happiness. That's how I knew I loved him, and that's how I know he loved me. When he smiled at me, I couldn't not smile back. There was nothing else in those moments. No war. No people. No world. No sky. Just us. I wanted to stay like that forever." She looked a little lost in space, but she quickly composed herself. She gave a little laugh trying to hide the sadness she let slip, "I hope that answers your question. My rambling may have just confused you more."

"I think it did."

"Huh?" she looked at her son. He didn't look confused. Not anymore. He almost looked like he hadn't seen things clearer in his life.

"I think I do."

"You think you do what?" She was beginning to worry about her son's well-being. He wasn't being clear.

He finally spoke up, "... love her."

Yoshino felt like her heart had been struck be lightning. Her son loved a girl? She did had not expected this outcome. What was asked on a whim became a revelation. This was amazing news. Her son went for a sip of tea when she finally spoke up, "Is it Temari?"

Shikamaru nearly choked on his tea from this sudden outburst. While he was coughing, Yoshino couldn't have been more pleased that she nearly had to put "Death by Tea" on her son's gravestone. Yoshino had met Temari when she and her son were working on the chuunin exams. Shikamaru often forgot his lunch on those days. She had always liked and gotten along with Temari.

She smiled at her coughing son, "I approve."

He looked at her annoyed at her nonchalance. She just kept smiling at her son overwhelmed with happiness for him. Yoshino could not wait to see where things went with the two of them.

* * *

**Hello again (or for the first time). Thank you for reading, and thank you so much to the people who have reviewed. I love getting feedback from people. It keeps me working. I hope things are lovely wherever you are and as always, peace be with you. **


	5. Love Actually

**Well, I decided to do a continuum of my last chapter. Hope you enjoy. ^_^**

* * *

**Love Actually**

How could he tell her? Did she love him? What if it was too soon to say? When was the right time to tell her? Should he just get it over with and rip it off like a bandage? Is there a right moment? These questions were driving Shikamaru mad. In a way, he hated his inexperience with these matters. If his mother had just kept her damn mouth shut everything would be fine. He needed to tell her, but he was afraid. What if his affections were not returned? How could he know?

"What's bothering you?"

He snapped out of his thoughts, and he brought his attention to the source of his turmoil. Temari was frowning at him. They had been working on getting some documents together for an upcoming union meeting. Hours of shuffling through books, filing cabinets, and scrolls were their fun for the day. He had been sitting there staring at the same symbol for minutes lost in his thoughts. She was putting up books they no longer needed until she noticed he hadn't moved in a while. What should he say? He settled on the truth, "My mother."

"Did she do something to upset you?"

"She nearly killed me with tea."

Temari laughed. In an instant, Shikamaru's heart felt like it might hop out of his chest. He loved her laugh. Love. He was learning that acknowledgement gave the word more power. Since he admitted it the night before, his feelings and emotions had severely multiplied. Why couldn't things have stayed simple?

"Shikamaru?" She was talking to him. What did she say?

"I'm sorry. I got distracted."

Temari gave a worried look, "How did she nearly kill you with tea?" She placed another book on a shelf.

"She knows about us," he blurted it out.

Temari whipped her head around to look at him. She was a little caught off-guard "Really? How does she know?"

"She guessed."

"Oh." Temari sat in the chair across from him and thought for a second, "What does she think?"

"While I was dying from tea inhalation, she said she approved."

Temari smiled, "I'm glad,"She said it softly. Shikamaru's heart dug a little deeper. He could tell it was a relief to her. Yoshino had a tendency of being overly strict. Neither of them knew what to expect when they told her. It was better that she guessed on her own. Temari spoke again, "Shikamaru?"

"Mm?"

"If she approved, what's really bothering you?" Her face was serious. More serious than usual. He had to reassure her somehow.

Shikamaru looked her in the eyes. With the most serious voice he could muster he said, "Death by tea, they would have called me."

Temari couldn't help but laugh. Shikamaru was smiling at her reaction. She knew he was hiding something from her. She just didn't know what, yet. "Well, if you ever decide to tell me, I'll listen." She reached across the table and grabbed his hands. They had been alone in this document hell-hole for hours. He hoped it would stay that way for what was to come next.

He leaned as far across the desk as he could while still sitting, "Come here."

Temari smiled at him, "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

Shikamaru smiled back, "So, you're teasing me now?"

"Well, I might be able to make a deal with you."

He had a feeling he already knew the deal, "I'll tell you if you come here."

Temari was not letting up, "Or you could tell me first."

Shikamaru sighed, "I would feel better about it, if we did it my way."

Temari looked at him skeptically, "What if you don't tell me after I've given you what you want?"

"You'll probably hurt me."

Temari smiled, "I absolutely will." She leaned over the desk to him as she said it, locking lips with him at the end of the statement. They hadn't been dating for long, but they fell into kissing pretty quickly. And dammit, they were good at it. It was a slow kiss. They were cherishing it. It was the first kiss they had all day, and they knew it may very well be the last of the day. They made it count. Shikamaru felt his heart pounding in his chest; his breath quickened with it. He put his hand on her face. Her skin was so soft and warm under his fingers. Still kissing her, he moved his fingers to the back of her neck, and with his thumb he lightly felt right under jawbone. There he felt it. Her heart was racing just like his. He hoped she didn't notice. He had to know he had the same effect on her.

They finally broke apart, but they didn't move far. He kept his hand on the back of her neck, and their foreheads were together. They were both slightly panting from the affair. He said it quietly, "I love you." Done! There was no going back. He waited for her response.

She took a deep breath and let it all out. She had regained her composure. Still, she didn't move from him, "Idiot."

Shikamaru stomach dropped, "What?"

"Is that all that was bothering you?"

He didn't know what to say. He separated from her and sat back in his chair. Temari looked a little upset at the sudden distance. She stood up and walked around the desk to him. She sat on top of the desk right in front of him. She put her hands on both sides of his face pulling it up to hers. They kissed again. This time, a single light one. Her hands still on his face she looked him in the eyes. "Big dum dum."

"Tch. What?" he was getting annoyed at this point.

She laughed a little, "I thought you already knew I loved you."

Temari had never seen such a dumb face plastered on Shikamaru. Nor had she seen him show so many emotions at once. His eyebrows screamed confusion, his agape mouth screamed shock, and his eyes screamed relief.

"Here, let me help you with that." She put her hand under his chin and closed his mouth.

He smiled and laughed at himself. He put his arms around her waist and buried his face into her stomach. She rested one of her hands on his back. He felt silly for being so nervous about it. They were so well together. They weren't so fragile that words like that would topple everything over. He spoke muffled by her stomach, "You call me idiot a lot."

She laughed a little, "Yeah. So?"

"You're dating an idiot."

She laughed, "Well, I guess this idiot is lucky I love him."

"He is."

She pat him on the back, "Time to get back to work."

He sat back in his chair to look back at her and pouted. His hands still rested on her waist. She grabbed his hands and sat them on his lap, "The sooner we get this done, the better." He understood. The sooner they got done here, the sooner they could spend time out there.

* * *

**Well, it's just been one of those days for writing. I hope you enjoyed, and peace be with you. **


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